BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                        SENATE FOOD and AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
                            Senator Dean Florez, Chairman

          BILL NO:    AB 557                    HEARING:  7/7/09
          AUTHOR:   Caballero                   FISCAL:  Yes
          VERSION:  2/25/09                     CONSULTANT:  John Chandler
          
             California Organic Products Advisory Committee: membership.

          BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

          The California Organic Act (act) creates the California Organic  
          Products Advisory Committee (COPAC), comprised of 15 members and  
          alternates, for the purpose of advising the Secretary of the  
          California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).  Six  
          members are to be producers, of which one must produce an animal  
          product; two are to be processors; one is to be a wholesale  
          distributor; two are to be environmental representatives; two  
          are to be technical representatives with scientific credentials;  
          and one is to be a retail representative.  The act was updated  
          in 2003 to conform to the National Organic Program (NOP) and its  
          title changed to the California Organic Products Act of 2003.

          In 1990, the federal government established the Organic Food  
          Production Act of 1990 which would grow to provide for the  
          establishment of regulations of humans, food for pet food,  
          livestock feed, and raw agricultural products when using, on a  
          principal display panel (label), the word "organic."  The  
          enabling regulations for this act were finalized and adopted in  
          December 2001 creating the NOP. 

          PROPOSED LAW

          AB 557 will increase the size of COPAC by one member to add an  
          organic certifier accredited by the United States Department of  
          Food and Agriculture.   

          COMMENTS

          1.Proponents state AB 557 provides accredited certifier input on  
            COPAC on how the State Organic Program (SOP) enforces the NOP.  
             Since the foundation of the COPAC, it has not had an  
            accredited certifier's input which will provide input from a  
            critical element of the state's organic industry.  Since  
            certifiers are responsible for certifying the National Organic  
            Program, which the SOP is required to enforce, it is crucial  
            that an accredited certifier serve on COPAC to provide the SOP  
            and CDFA with input into crucial issues impacting the organic  
            industry.




          AB 557 - Page 2



          PRIOR ACTIONS

          Assembly Floor 77-0
          Assembly Appropriations16-0
          Assembly Agriculture  8-0

          SUPPORT
          
          California Agricultural Commissioners & Sealers Association
          California Certified Organic Farmers
          California Organic Products Advisory Committee
          Quality Assurance International

          OPPOSITION
          
          None received